Strandja International Boxing Tournament has started in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria.

Three Azerbaijani boxers successfully performed on the first day of the competition.

Zalimkhan Suleymanov, who competed in the 57 kg category, faced Davlet Moldashev (Kazakhstan).

The match ended with the Azerbaijani boxer's victory with a score of 3:2 (29:28, 30:27, 28:29, 28:29, 29:28). He will test his strength in the 1/4 finals with Michele Baldassi (Italy), who was released from the first stage.

Nabi Iskandarov (67 kg) qualified for the 1/4 finals without a fight. This was due to the absence of his opponent Shpetim Bayoku (Kosovo). Iskenderov will face Rumen Rumenov (Bulgaria) on his way to the semifinals.

Zaur Gahramanov (67 kilograms) was stronger than O'Connor Darren (Ireland) in the 1/8 finals.

The Azerbaijani boxer won with a score of 4:1 (30:27, 30:27, 30:27, 29:28, 28:29). He will clarify his relationship with Gianluigi Malanga (Italy) in his second match.

Boxing is known as one of the oldest known sports in the history of humankind.

The earliest evidence of boxing dates back to Egypt around 3,000 BC.

This sport was introduced to the ancient Olympic Games by the Greeks in the late 7th century BC.

In 1924, the International Amateur Boxing Federation (FIBA) was established.

Since 1946, it has been referred to as the International Boxing Association (AIBA). Boxing made its Olympic debut at the 1904 Games in St. Louis.

In 1926, the boxing championship was held for the first time in Azerbaijan, where national boxers took first place.

Since 1992, the Azerbaijani Boxing Federation has become a full member of the International Boxing Association (AIBA).

Azerbaijani boxers have won many prestigious awards at many international championships.

Aghasi Mammadov has entered Azerbaijan's history of boxing as the first national boxer, as a gold medallist at the world championship.

Another Azerbaijani boxer, Fuad Asadov, was among the medallists at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games.

Many times, Azerbaijan has been chosen as the host country for major boxing championships.

The AIBA Youth World Championships were held in Baku in 2019. This world championship was the first licensed youth tournament to qualify for the 2010 Olympic Games held in Singapore.

The country also hosted the 2011 AIBA World Boxing Championships, which was the first major qualifying event for the London 2012 Olympic Games.